DR BERND HORN DETAILS THE ORIGINS OF THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE AND ITS FABLED COMBAT DEBUT AT MOUNT LA DIFENSA.
FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE | ITALY | 1943
Each step was a product of sheer will. Soaking wet from days of incessant rain, the cold wind that swept across the rock face cut through to the bone. Although the fingers and hands of the climbers were numb, their brains fatigued by lack of sleep and exertion, their task allowed for no respite. As each soldier clawed his way they mauled their hands on jagged rock that flayed the skin. Despite the pain, each had to stifle the instinct to cry out. The enemy position was above, on the summit of the mountain. Any noise could prove fatal.
Their task was made even more treacherous due to the wall face, that was not only jagged but brimming with loose rocks. Deep ravines cut through the mountainside providing scant improvement for foot or hand holds. Days of rain turned the vegetation and earth to slippery plants and mud. The December cold only added to the misery, making every effort that much more difficult. As if that was not enough, the night darkness and fog proved blinding.
But then, the shadows were exactly what the members of the First Specia…
